Critics Seek To Kill Perk of Giving Ill. Lawmakers College Aid

A 90-year-old perk given each year to Illinois state
legislators--two four-year scholarships to state universities--may be
on its last legs. Numerous reports this year have suggested that the
awards are going to family members, children of party officials, and
campaign contributors.

The privilege has traditionally been shrouded in secrecy. Lawmakers
who created the program also made sure they did not have to disclose
its beneficiaries. And throughout its history, the scholarship program
has raised eyebrows.

Sending one of their own children or grandchildren to college or
through medical school at state expense has been a chief reason some
people have campaigned for a seat in the legislature. And at least once
a scholarship was designated for a lawmaker's dog, the story goes, to
keep it available for later use.

But this year the program has faced its most serious opposition.
Reporters in Illinois have uncovered the names of recipients and found
that scholarships are often not awarded to needy students in
legislative districts across the state, but instead are sometimes
handed out in textbook examples of political patronage.

In the wake of the disclosures, which have led to an internal
investigation at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, House
members moved to abolish the practice as part of an ethics bill. Senate
leaders said last week that while they are unlikely to kill the
program--which they vigorously defend--they may still vote on a bill
that would require lawmakers to reveal the names of recipients.

"We're getting closer and closer to elimination, but it's not going
to happen this year," said Sen. Harry "Babe" Woodyard, a Republican who
has sponsored bills to kill the program in each of the last three
years.

"In my rural district, we need doctors," he said. "So I have given
scholarships to students to attend medical school. But legislators
should not be in this business."

Governor Joins Critics

The program began in 1905 as a way to raise the prestige of
attending state universities and sweeten the prestige of the Illinois
General Assembly. Lawmakers can award each year a four-year, free-ride
scholarship to the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign and
another four-year waiver to any other state school.

Many legislators divide the scholarships, turning them into eight
one-year awards or sometimes 16 semester-by-semester grants. Some are
used to waive tuition at law schools and other graduate programs.

State legislators in Louisiana and Maryland have a similar
perquisite. Other states that once had such programs have slowly phased
them out, in part because of problems like the ones that now threaten
the program in Illinois. This month, Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar, a
Republican, joined the critics, saying he would like to sign a bill
ending the program.

The scholarships cost the state $4.2 million in fiscal 1994. The
1,904 scholarships that year made up the biggest chunk of the $9.7
million in scholarships that are rooted in state law.

Abuses 'Overstated'

Proponents of the program, led by Senate President James "Pate"
Philip, contend that abuses have been overstated and that the program
remains a worthy means of helping needy students.

"This is an opportunity to help thousands of Illinois students and
their families--a worthwhile program that benefits students who might
otherwise fall through the cracks of the financial-aid system," said
Patty Schuh, a spokeswoman for Mr. Philip.

The provision to kill the program has stalled in the Senate rules
committee and will likely stay there through the end of the session.
Some observers said the strong vote that House lawmakers gave the
plan--the ethics bill passed 85-30--came in part because the lawmakers
knew that Senate leaders would keep the aid program from coming to a
vote.

Ms. Schuh said Senate leaders were still considering a bill that
would require disclosure of the names of scholarship recipients.

The identities of some recipients have created the problems that
have lingered over this year's session since The News-Gazette newspaper
in Champaign published the results of its investigation of the
program.

The paper reported that legislators were awarding scholarships far
outside their districts, apparently swapping scholarships with
colleagues, granting tuition waivers to children of local party
officials, and giving the children of political donors scholarships to
expensive graduate programs.

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